1)Someone who listens to what they like. if they like a song, they listen to it. if it is RnB but they like it, they listen to it. if it's heavy metal, and they like it they listen to it. if it's bubblegum pop but they like it they listen to it. they also wear what they like. if they like a designer shirt, they wear it, if they like a bright pink pair of trews they'll wear it. (even the boys) basically, someone who really is their own person, and not the hypocritical non-conformists
2)The label used in schools for people who are nots chavs, goths skaters or emos

Townie: oooooh ma god, you're a goth cos you listen to slipknot!
Alternative: I don't listen to slipknot
Townie: why you wearin' a slipknot hoodie then?
Alternative: i'm wearing a yellow t-shirt and a black jacket, since when does that mean i listen to slipknot? Slipknot are crap!

alternative is someone who does whatever the fuck they want and doesnt care about what anyone says.
they could listen to rock,punk,metal ect, but not care about the baggyness of trews, and wear short denim and scally clothes.
its up to the person really. it isnt someone trying to set up a new "thing" at all.

*fill in name here*: EEEEEEH, why u listening to THAT?!
Alternative: because i want to, jerk
*same name as 1st*:...............oh.

The music: Alternative and indie are similar, and both came from college rock, which is what happened when goth became more mainstream (and goth was what happened when punk became more mainstream). The difference between alternative and indie is simple. Indie bands are on an independent label (or unsigned) and alternative bands aren't. Thus, alternative is more 'mainstream' than indie.

The...other thing: Like most music, people who listen to it are sometimes labeled by it. Alternative and indie are once again similar, but often times indie kids are contemptuous of alternative kids because they're mainstream, which is stupid because the whole point is the music, and is also the reason that punk and goth etc. died because they became 'mainstream'. Thus, sometimes indie kids are obsessed with not becoming mainstream, and consider bands that sign with a major label and the people who listen to the sellouts. Alternative kids usually care less about that (even if they listen to indie bands) and listen to the music that they like, even if it isn't indie or even alternative or rock, the music they like is the music they like. Like indie kids though, alternative kids will never label themselves that way, and no one will ever label them that way either, except to say 'people who listen to alt'. If you label yourself that way, you're probably just like someone who labels themselves punk or goth, trying to be 'unique' instead of yourself.

Indie kid: Death Cab for Cutie is a sellout! I'm never going to listen to them again, they were on a major label and got mentioned on a TV show. Now tons of people are going to listen to them and that makes them stupid.
Alternative kid: Sure, that sucks and all, but I still like their music, so I don't care that much.

Alternative is not a label which you can give to one 'group' of people. alternatives are non conformists who have no social group. you cant recognise an alternative person by what they wear or look like, so dont try to. they dont all wear the same clothes (like moshers, chavs, goths, indies or any other group of people who try to be individual but all seem to like the same stuff, wear the same clothes and only listen to music which their friends like). alternative people enjoy listening to whatever the hell they like, because they dont just like one type of music, they may just enjoy music on a whole, or it may just depend what kind of a mood they are in to what kind of music they listen too at that time. although this term is based around mysic it also applys to clothes as i said above many groups try to all wear the same stuff in order to fit in, alternatives wear whatever they like, if its designer, and they like it, they will wear it. if its got the name of a band on, and they like it, they will wear it. if there is a song which is by slipnot, and they like it, they will listen to it. if there is a song, which is by eminem, they will listen too it.

stupid conformist kid 1: hey your wearing lacoste! your such a chav!

alternative kid: im wearing a lacoste shirt because i like the shirt, not the lable.

An 'Alternative' is a person or group of people (usually in their teens) who don't fit into any particular labelled group (goths, grungers, chavs, skaters, etc).

They listen to what they want and wear what they want but are rarely associated with people like chavs and townies.

They are similar to rockers in some ways but are usually more individual.

Chav 1: Oh My GoD yOu LiStEn To MeTaLlIcA yOu GrUnGeR!!111ONE
Chav 2: YoU lIsTeN tO dAsHbOaRd CoNfEsSiOnAl YoU'rE sO eMo!!111OnE
Chav 3: If YoU lIsTeN tO rOcK tHeN yOu'Re A rOcKeR!!111one
Alternative: Actually I'm alternative. I prefer not to conform to your stupid labels.

Alternative is whatever you define it as. Whether you see alternative as emo, punk, goth, stoner,( which are all just pointless, ignorant, stupid labels made by stupid people who cant use thier brains to think for themselves ) doesnt matter. A person may dress "gothic" but that doesnt make them goth. They are just being themselves.And that is what being alternative means- being yourself, and not letting others tell you how to act and how to be. Being alternative means that you are yourself, and that you dont label yourself as anything. The people who say " I'm Goth" or "I'm Punk" arent really so.

Leave the stupid stereotypes and get with the real picture. Let people be who they want and live their lives. Alternative , in simple terms, is just being yourself, being a little different and out there occasionally, and just being your own person. And by the way - even if someone appears to be the stereotype of something - goth jock punk emo whatever - they can still be alternative. Its your personality - not your looks - that makes someone alternative.

Ignorant Fool - "Hey look at that kid. He's wearing black clothes and eyeliner. He must be some gothic fag!

( Fag is another word that all the idiotic, small minded, judgemental ignorant people use to put down homosexuals or anyone different to them. And by the way, there is nothing wrong with homosexuals. They are living people, just like everyone else, and should be given every single right that heterosexual people have.)

Alternative Kid - (In Response) " Hey look at that kid. He's using stereotypes to judge me just because I dont behave like an immature moron or look like he does - he obviously has no idea what alternative means! I wonder if he has any idea how ignorant and stupid he sounds right now ?"